This invention relates to the art of controlling the supply of electrical power to appliances, and more particularly to a new and improved system and method for controlling appliances in plural modes of operation from a remote location.
One area of use of the present invention is controlling indoor overhead ceiling mounted fans which have electrical lamps, although the principles of the present invention can be variously applied. The modes of operation of such fans include different speeds of rotation together with forward and reverse directions of rotation. The lamp modes of operation include various levels of brightness.
One disadvantage of control systems heretofore available is that they assign multiple primary functions to the wall switch control buttons, requiring the operator to memorize certain operating procedures such as multiple depressions of a button or pressing and holding a button down for several seconds. It would, therefore, be highly desirable to provide a control system for ceiling fans which eliminates multiple primary function wall switch buttons so that any user can operate the system immediately whether or not he is familiar with the system.
Another disadvantage of control systems heretofore available is that they require 3-wire cable between wall switch units in a 3-way hookup, and many which control both a fan and a lamp attachment require 3-wire cable from the wall unit to the fan. It would be highly desirable to provide a system requiring only 2-wire cabling throughout, with the added feature of no neutral required for enhanced simplicity of installation.
Additional advantageous features in such a control system include addressability of appliances or groups thereof by means of the wall switches, memory storage and recall of various operational settings, and safety features such as automatic power shut off when fan blade rotation ceases and in response to lamp burn-out, damage or other failure.